It’s not hard to find someone who is for the Georgia Bulldogs. Or for the Clemson Tigers. Americans are for America. We relish our identity as Americans when we celebrate our independence each July 4th. As husbands, we’re for our wives and our kids. When you’re for something, you identify with it, you advocate for it and you even set your priorities around it.

Merriam-Webster says ‘for’ is “used to indicate the person or thing that something is sent or given to.” But what are we ‘given to’ in our daily lives? What (or who) do we think about? Identify with? Advocate for? Set priorities around? Could it be one (or more) of the following . . .

Our work and career?

Our golf game?

Our favorite college team?

Our vacations and time off?

Our home and/or lawn?

Our church?

Our wives?

Our kids?

Our parents?

Our retirement?

Our kids’ sports?

Our finances?

Our health and fitness?

Our friends?

Our problems?

God is about motives. He’s about the why far more than about the what, when or where. Through all of history, God has been about relationship. That’s the why. He created us to be in a personal relationship with Him. We’re called “Christians” because of that relationship, but somehow we still don’t have much time for Him.When we think about the time and attention we give God every day compared to the time and attention we devote to the things on the above list, it’s almost comical. When it comes to the Creator God who invited us to call him Father, the omnipotent Almighty God of the universe who wants to be our best friend, who controls everything . . . well, He gets a few minutes each day before we hit the gym (if we don’t forget). Except for maybe ‘our problems,’ there’s not a single bad thing on that list . . . they’re all good and some of them are even necessary. So, what gives? What does God want from us?

And lest you think I’m throwing rocks, I live in a glass house. As much as I love God and try to follow Him, I’d hate to see a pie chart of my daily thoughts. God would be there but I’d be ashamed of how little I actually think of Him or talk to Him. But oh . . . when I’m under pressure or in a crisis, His piece of my time, attention, energy and mindshare gets really big!

We live for the Lord when we’re constantly praising and thanking Him. When we’re looking for opportunities to serve others. And when we slow down enough to read His Book, listen to His voice and live as He wants us to live, we feel His peace and His presence in our lives. That’s what He wants for us.

Scriptures: If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Romans 14:8

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Philippians 4:12

“Don’t worry it will be OK.” We’ve all heard those words before, and they generally were not what we wanted to hear. You might have been going through a trial, a temptation, a difficulty and someone told you it will all work out. They told you to have faith.

“It will be OK? What are you talking about??” you scream in your head, this person doesn’t get it! I have a real problem here and this person is telling me to simply “Trust!?”

Sometimes, answers like these can come off as being shallow; and when Bible verses and theology are causally applied to problems, like band-aids, they don’t stick. Trials can’t be solved like taking Tylenol for a headache, you can’t just take two John 3:16’s and wake up in the morning feeling great. Problems just don’t go away so easily, especially when you are not starting from the right place – faith.

Close my eyes?

At some point you took a leap of faith and trusted Christ as your Lord and Savior. For many, the idea of faith ends there, then we’re on our own; we need to figure out how to navigate life, how to solve problems in our marriage, how to spend our money, etc. – WRONG! Scripture makes it clear here, your entire life needs to be characterized by one thing – faith.

But what does it mean to walk by faith? It means not to trust in ourselves (walking by sight); but to trust in HIM (walk by faith) and in his sovereign plan for our lives.

Trusting Him

Paul exhorts us in 2 Cor 5 to trust in God’s plan and not our own. As humans we have a natural bent to trust in ourselves. It all started in the garden when God told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree. He told them that he had a plan for their life, and that plan was good. The first humans had a different idea. They didn’t trust God, they trusted themselves – and we’ve been that way ever since.

Take the Step

So this week, as you face the trials of life, trust in God and in His plan. Don’t seek to handle life’s problems in the way that seems right to you; that way leads to death (Prov. 14:12). Rather handle them the way God wants you to, by trusting in God’s plan. God makes an amazing promise in 1 Cor. 10:13. He promises that no temptation that you have will ever overtake you, and that He will always be faithful to provide a way out. Knowing the promise of God will help you to handle life well. So:

If a coworker treats you poorly, walk by faith and love them back – Trust in God’s plan.

If you are tempted to skip your quite time with God this week, walk by faith and spend time with God – Trust in God’s plan.

When temptation entices you this week to sin, walk by faith, and not by sight, and trust that God’s way is better than sin – Trust in God’s plan.

Whatever trial or temptation comes your way; trust in God’s plan and you will see all of the rewards that walking by faith brings.